VentureBeat will present GreenBeart 2009, its Smart Grid conference, in San Mateo, California on November 18 and 19. This conference will bring together leaders in the smart grid community to explore next steps in moving towards a cleaner, more efficient electrical grid. Keynote presentations will be given by:

GreenBeat 2009 also features an Innovation Competition that will highlight companies in the smart grid sector with cutting-edge business models and technologies. The application deadline for this competition is October 30.

Thanks to our friends at VentureBeat, readers of Green VC can receive a 20% discount off the GreenBeat 2009 standard registration price. To receive this discount please use code "GREENVC09" [without the quotes] when registering online. For more information:

This event will take place from 5:30 – 8:00 PM at Hanson Bridgett, 425 Market Street, 26th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105 (directions). The admission fee is $45. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.

On May 7, SDForum will present the second program in its Green and Clean Evening Series entitled Non-Traditional Funding Sources. This program will feature the following panelists, who will share their insight on the current state of venture capital investing in clean technology and options for non-traditional sources of funding for entrepreneurs:

This program will be held from 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm at Orrick, 1000 Marsh Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Thanks to our friends at SDForum, readers of Green VC can receive a $5 discount from the non-member registration price for this event. To receive the discount, please use code "CT09" when registering online. For more information:

This program will be held from 6:00 – 8:30 pm at Cooley Godward Kronish LLP, 3175 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, CA 94304. Green VC readers can obtain discounted tickets when registering in advance by following these steps:

Element Partners, a private equity firm focused on clean technology investments, today announced the final closing of Element Partners II LP (Element II). This fund was initially targeted at $400 million, but was oversubscribed and yielded $486 million in committed capital. Investors include corporate, state and municipal pension funds, university endowments, private foundations, funds of funds, and family offices.

"The successful fundraising further validates our history of providing investors with superior results, and the growing interest in cleantech," said David Lincoln, Managing Partner of Element. "We are extremely gratified by this vote of confidence and look forward to extending our leadership in the global cleantech arena."

Element Partners, which has offices in Radnor, PA and Menlo Park, CA, currently has 22 portfolio companies in sectors including alternative energy, water treatment, biofuels, and green building materials. Element Partners was founded in 2005 and has more than $800 million in total assets under management.

Earlier this week, solar company First Solar announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire all of OptiSolar's project development business in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $400 million. This transaction will enable First Solar to expand its business in the U.S. utility solar power market and includes the following:

A 550 megawatt (MW) AC solar development project under a power purchase agreement with PG&E

A project pipeline of additional 1,300MW AC which are in negotiation with Western region utilities for solar development projects

Strategic land rights of approximately 136,000 acres (approximately 210 square miles) with the potential to deploy up to 19 gigawatts (GW) AC of utility-scale solar power projects

First Solar expects to build solar power plants developed under the acquired solar power project pipeline over the next several years and sell them to a combination of regulated utilities, diversified energy companies, and other independent power producers. First Solar also stated that the core development team responsible for assembling and executing on OptiSolar's solar project pipeline will join First Solar's development team.

"OptiSolar has created an impressive and well-designed development pipeline. Adding these resources, along with their development team, to First Solar is our next logical step to delivering multi-GW of solar power to U.S. utilities over the next several years," said Mike Ahearn, First Solar chief executive officer. "As First Solar continues to drive down its manufacturing and EPC costs, OptiSolar's project pipeline and the ability of our team to continually expand our existing pipeline, will enable us to bring solar energy on-line quickly and further reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the grid."

This transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2009. For more information:

On March 17, Astia and SDForum will present the first program in the 2009 Clean Tech Breakfast Series. This program is entitled Standing at the Edge of the Grid and will feature a panel that will focus on the following topic:

Monitoring, metering, compliance and energy efficiency technologies are at the hub for both homes and offices. What technologies will be part of the smart homes of tomorrow?

This event will take place from 8:00 am – 10:00 am at SAP, 3410 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304. The cost for SDForum members is $20 and $30 for non-members. Further program information and registration can be found here.

Today NRG Energy announced that it signed an agreement with eSolar to develop solar thermal power plants with a total generation capacity of up to 500 megawatts (MW) at sites in California and the Southwest. In addition, NRG will invest approximately $10 million for equity and associated development rights for three projects on sites in south central California and the Southwest US and a portfolio of power purchase agreements (PPAs) to develop, build, own and operate up to 11 eSolar modular solar generating units at these sites.

eSolar, an Idealab company based in Pasadena, California, produces modular, scalable solar thermal power plants that are designed to address the complex issues involved in large or utility-scale power projects. The company is currently completing its first commercial demonstration concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in Southern California. The facility will be the first fully functioning solar thermal power tower plant built in the United States.

"This is NRG's first venture into solar power and it brings an exceptionally important component to the low- and no-carbon focus of our RepoweringNRG program," said Michael Liebelson, Chief Development Officer Low Carbon Technology for NRG Energy. "By coupling NRG's construction capabilities and regional operating expertise with eSolar's innovative CSP technology, we can advance NRG's renewable energy portfolio while helping to accelerate development of these important projects on a commercial scale."

"eSolar's breakthrough modular power plants use more software and less steel to allow solar energy to be competitive with fossil fuels for the first time ever," said Bill Gross, CEO of eSolar. "NRG Energy's extensive project skills and focus on advancing a diverse portfolio of energy generation technology will help accelerate the deployment of eSolar's CSP technology in locations across the US."

The AC-NET Clean Tech Business Plan Competition is a new contest sponsored by the Anaheim Center for New Energy Technologies (AC-NET), a collaborative partnership between the city of Anaheim and Cal State Fullerton. Judges will select three winning candidates with the technology that best addresses regional energy and water challenges and demonstrates profit potential in today's marketplace. Cash prizes will be awarded in the amounts of $25,000 for first-place, $10,000 for second place, and $5,000 for third-place.

AC-NET is focused on revitalizing Anaheim's local and regional economy through supporting the efforts of entrepreneurs, start-ups and ventures in bringing clean water and energy technologies to market. It was initially proposed by Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle in his 2008 State of the City Address. "The Clean Tech Business Plan Competition is a great way to kick off AC-NET's efforts," said Mayor Pringle. "We know that there are great ideas out there and, with a little help from AC-NET, those ideas can find the resources and help to come to market, creating new jobs and businesses in our region."

The submission deadline for this competition is March 16, 2009. Additional information about AC-NET and the Clean Tech Business Plan Competition are available online at www.ACNET-Anaheim.net or by phone at 877-79-ACNET.